Hon Phil Twyfordhttp://www.beehive.govt.nz/taxonomy/term/6369/feed
enHamilton to Auckland passenger rail trial gets green lighthttp://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/hamilton-auckland-passenger-rail-trial-gets-green-light
The NZ Transport Agency Board has approved a business case for the next steps in a start-up trial Hamilton to Auckland passenger rail service, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today.
Phil Twyford said approval of the business case is an exciting step towards the planned roll out of a five-year trial service to begin in March 2020.
“We know more and more people are commuting between Hamilton and Auckland, and introducing this trial service will give them a choice in how they do that,” Phil Twyford said.
The business case allows for the fit-out of rolling stock and the detailed design of infrastructure. The total cost of the five year trial, including the service operated by KiwiRail, is estimated at $78.2 million, including $68.4 million from the NZ Transport Agency and $9.8 million from local authorities.
“The Government is committed to investing close to $4 billion in public transport, rapid transit and metro rail across New Zealand. This trial service will demonstrate how investing in public transport can help manage growth and shape our towns and cities.
“It would stop in Hamilton at Frankton and The Base in Rotokauri before going onto Huntly and finally stopping in Papakura in Auckland, where passengers can change onto the Auckland Public Transport Network. Future stops may include, Te Kauwhata, Pokeno and Tuakau.
“A new station including a platform and Park & Ride parking area will be created as part of the Rotokauri rail stop and the Huntly platform will need to be upgraded.
“The service would start with a four-carriage train which can carry 150 passengers each way. As demand grows, it would be expanded to a five-carriage train carrying up to 200 passengers,” Phil Twyford said.
NZTA will now work with local councils and KiwiRail to develop a pre-implementation plan in early 2019.
Wed, 19 Dec 2018 08:59:32 +1300beehive.govt.nz106736HomeStart changes pave way for more KiwiBuilders http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/homestart-changes-pave-way-more-kiwibuilders
Housing New Zealand’s HomeStart grant and Welcome Home Loan house price caps for new builds in areas outside the main centres are increasing from $450,000 to $500,000 to match the KiwiBuild price cap, Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford announced today.
This means more first home buyers across New Zealand will be able to apply for a KiwiBuild home using the HomeStart grant and Welcome Home Loan.
“Aligning the price caps so they are the same as the KiwiBuild price caps across the country means first home buyers can take advantage of the grant and loan for KiwiBuild, if they meet the eligibility criteria,” Phil Twyford said.
The HomeStart Grant has already helped families get into their KiwiBuild home. For example, to buy one of the first KiwiBuild homes at McLennan, families could get a mortgage with a deposit of just 10 per cent, or $58,000. Up to $20,000 of that could come from the HomeStart Grant, meaning families only need $38,000 from their KiwiSaver or other savings.
Around 60 per cent of KiwiBuild buyers so far earn below the HomeStart and Welcome Home Loan income caps.
This change is expected to result in HomeStart grants being paid for an additional 230 homes per year and an additional 10 Welcome Home Loans being drawn per year.
The increase in the price cap for new builds applies to all areas of New Zealand outside of Auckland, Queenstown, Greater Wellington, Greater Christchurch, Hamilton, Greater Tauranga, and Nelson-Tasman. The HomeStart and Welcome Home Loan house price caps in these areas are already at or above the KiwiBuild caps.
“The cost of this increase is estimated to be around $3 million per year, which will be funded within the existing KiwiSaver Deposit subsidy and Housing New Zealand budgets,” Phil Twyford said.
“This increase is part of a Government review of home‑ownership products to better align with KiwiBuild, support more house building and help families own their own homes.”
Tue, 18 Dec 2018 10:18:51 +1300beehive.govt.nz106720Maritime New Zealand Chair appointed http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/maritime-new-zealand-chair-appointed
Minister of Transport Phil Twyford today announced the appointment of Jo Brosnahan as Chair of the Maritime New Zealand Board.
Jo Brosnahan has been appointed for a three year term to 30 June 2021.
Phil Twyford says Jo Brosnahan is a very experienced board member with strong governance and leadership skills.
“She brings a good understanding of the maritime sector and has broad experience working with ports and harbours as the former CEO of Auckland Regional Council and Northland Regional Councils.
Maritime NZ’s core roles are to regulate the maritime sector, promote safety and maintain safety infrastructure, and respond to environmental incidents and emergencies at sea.
“Our Government is rebalancing the transport system toward better safety, access and value for money. We are creating a more modern, sustainable transport network.
“Maritime NZ has an important role to play in keeping New Zealanders safe on the water and protecting our environment. Jo Brosnahan will be great leader for the maritime community and will help support them to ensure our seas are safe, secure and clean.
“I’d like to acknowledge the work of the previous chair Blair O’Keeffe and thank him for his commitment during his two years on the Board,” Phil Twyford said.
Mon, 17 Dec 2018 15:35:41 +1300beehive.govt.nz106704$1.4 billion to save lives on our roadshttp://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/14-billion-save-lives-our-roads
Transport Minister Phil Twyford and Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter today announced a $1.4 billion, three-year programme to make New Zealand’s highest risk roads safer.
The Safe Network Programme will make 870 kilometres of high volume, high-risk State Highways safer by 2021 with improvements like median and side barriers, rumble strips, and shoulder widening.
The programme will target an estimated $600 to $700 million of state highway safety improvements and $700 to 800 million of local road safety improvements. Once complete, the improvements are expected to prevent 160 deaths and serious injuries every year.
Phil Twyford said the Safe Network Programme will build urgent safety improvements on our roads at scale and pace over the next three years to save lives.
“Drivers will inevitably make mistakes and it’s the government’s job is to stop those mistakes turning into tragedies.
“This year, far too many New Zealanders have lost their lives or been seriously injured in crashes that could have been prevented by road safety upgrades,” Phil Twyford said.
Julie Anne Genter said, “our Government believes it is unacceptable for anyone to be killed or seriously injured on our roads.”
“Annual road deaths in New Zealand increased from 253 just a few years ago in 2013, to 378 last year. The number of serious injuries increased from 2,020 to 2,836 per year over the same period.
“No other industry accepts hundreds of people dying each year as normal. No person I know thinks losing a loved one in a crash is an acceptable price to pay for living in a modern society – that’s why we’re making safety a priority.
“Local councils will be offered a higher level of central government funding to fix high-risk, local and regional roads. Over half of all fatal crashes happen on local roads and we recognise central government funding will help make these roads safer sooner,” Julie Anne Genter said.
A programme of local road safety projects is already under development with the first projects expected to begin next year.
The NZ Transport Agency will also speed up the time it takes to deliver safety projects by fast-tracking the approval process for standard, proven safety improvements. Applying the new fast-track process on projects like the State Highway 1 Dome Valley upgrade would have shaved nine months off the project timeframe.
“Regions with the highest rates of deaths and serious injuries - Waikato, Auckland and Canterbury - will be prioritised in the first year of the programme. It will then be rolled out to other regions including the Bay of Plenty.
“The programme will also deliver a nationwide advertising campaign to help raise awareness and conversation about why we must change some of our riskiest roads to prevent more road trauma,” Julie Anne Genter said.
More information about the Safe Network Programme, including a map, can be found at: www.nzta.govt.nz/safe-network-programme
Further State highway projects are being investigated and will be considered for funding within the Safe Network Programme.
Local road projects are currently being identified in partnership with local government for inclusion in the Safe Network Programme. These projects are expected to be identified in early 2019 and to begin construction in late 2019.
The Safe Network Programme is just one part of the Transport Agency’s safety programme. The Transport Agency continues to invest in a wide range of programmes delivered across the safety spectrum including road safety maintenance, advertising and education, road policing, active modes and public transport, all of which support improved safety outcomes.
Safety improvements in Safe Network Programme will include:
fixing dangerous corners
installing roadside and median safety barriers
shoulder widening
further safety improvements for high risk intersections
rumble strips
improving skid resistance
improving rail level crossing safety
setting safe and appropriate speed limits.
Sun, 16 Dec 2018 14:36:56 +1300beehive.govt.nz106696Letting fees shown the door from today http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/letting-fees-shown-door-today
Letting fees are prohibited from today after new legislation came into effect, Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford says.
“Our Government is making life better for renters. Now tenants won’t have to worry about letting fees during the busy summer rental season when so many are looking for new homes.
“This will make a real difference to struggling families. There are significant costs associated with moving to a new rental property, which many families are now forced to do every year.
"Letting fees are unfair on tenants. They have no economic rationale and there is no relationship between the amount of the charge and cost of the services provided.
“Property managers have indicated that they will be charging landlords for their services – this is entirely appropriate as it is a service provided to landlords, not tenants.
“Unlike vulnerable tenants competing for rental properties, landlords are in a position where they can ensure they are paying for exactly the services they are receiving.
“Landlords don’t have to pass on these costs and many of them won’t. Reserve Bank research shows that in New Zealand rents are driven primarily by supply and demand.
“Banning the charging of letting fees to tenants is a good first step in improving the life of renters while we continue our broader review of the Residential Tenancies Act. This broader review is aimed at giving tenants security of tenure and allowing them to make their house a home, while protecting the rights and interests of landlords.
“Our tenancy laws are antiquated and don’t reflect the fact that renting is now a long term reality for many of our families.
“Ultimately the best way to put tenants in a better situation is to increase the supply of housing, and end the shortage that is driving rents up. We’re building our way out of the national housing crisis with programmes like KiwiBuild and the Urban Growth Agenda,” Phil Twyford said.
Wed, 12 Dec 2018 09:50:38 +1300beehive.govt.nz106616First KiwiBuild homes for central Wellingtonhttp://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/first-kiwibuild-homes-central-wellington
The first KiwiBuild homes for central Wellington are on the way following an agreement with The Wellington Company to build a new apartment building in Mount Cook, Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford has announced.
The Wellington Company, founded by local developer Ian Cassels, will build a new six-storey apartment block in King Street containing 44 two-bedroom KiwiBuild units which will be completed by 2020. They will cost between $450,000 and $500,000.
As part of the same agreement, The Wellington Company will also repurpose a building and laneway on High Street in Lower Hutt. That site will have 20 apartments made up of one one-bedroom, 15 two-bedroom and four three-bedroom homes. They will cost between $390,000 and $500,000.
Phil Twyford said there was a real need for affordable homes in Wellington where house prices had risen more than 10 per cent in the past year; twice the national average. “Rising house prices in Wellington are also pushing rents up.”
Nearly 10,000 people had expressed an interest in KiwiBuild homes in Wellington, he said. “These apartments are all under the $500,000 KiwiBuild cap for Wellington. The Mount Cook block is situated in a highly sought after area between Massey University, Wellington Hospital and the Basin Reserve.
“KiwiBuild is gaining momentum with other big developers in the process of making deals on developments around New Zealand.
“It’s great to see more big names getting on board with KiwiBuild and contracts being finalised,” Phil Twyford said.
Mon, 10 Dec 2018 16:07:50 +1300beehive.govt.nz106582First families get payments by Christmashttp://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/first-families-get-payments-christmas
The regulation change allowing Housing NZ to make discretionary grants to those who were wrongly evicted for methamphetamine contamination has been made and the first 55 people are being paid from today, Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford announced.
The regulation changes were agreed by Cabinet last Monday, and became effective on Friday. The first payments were processed as soon as the regulation came into force.
Phil Twyford said Housing NZ is fronting up and redressing the hardships caused by the meth debacle.
“Housing NZ is working with other government agencies to find those affected and contact has been made with 295 people so far. A further 92 assistance claims have been approved, and once an offer has been made and accepted, these payments will be made immediately.
“Housing NZ is taking a case by case approach and reimbursing costs tenants incurred. They are making discretionary grants to cover expenses such as moving costs and furniture replacement. The average payment so far is $7,735 and each affected tenant has received a formal apology from Housing NZ.
“I committed to having the first payments made by Christmas and our Government is following through. We’re committed to putting this right because this systemic failure of government had far reaching consequences for many people.
“Housing NZ is a very different organisation under the helm of chief executive Andrew McKenzie and under our Government. We’re enshrining Housing NZ’s new social objectives in legislation to make sure their focus is on continuing to be the compassionate landlord they’ve become.
“These social objectives will be kept when Housing NZ becomes part of the proposed Urban Development Authority and there will be no changes for tenants.
“Housing NZ is well on track to becoming a world class public housing landlord,” Phil Twyford said.
Mon, 03 Dec 2018 07:34:27 +1300beehive.govt.nz106494Over 100 offsite manufacturers keen to partner with KiwiBuildhttp://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/over-100-offsite-manufacturers-keen-partner-kiwibuild
The KiwiBuild Unit has received 102 responses for its Invitation to Pitch for offsite manufacturers, Minister of Housing and Urban Development Phil Twyford announced today.
KiwiBuild’s Invitation to Pitch for Offsite Manufacturing has closed. It asked companies involved in offsite manufacturing to propose ways they could help KiwiBuild boost New Zealand’s housing supply, increase productivity and build affordable homes for first home buyers.
Phil Twyford said innovative offsite manufacturing is a key part of the KiwiBuild plan to enable innovation and scale to drive a real-step change in the availability, quality and price of housing.
“KiwiBuild is not only about tackling the housing crisis and restoring the kiwi dream of homeownership to young families. It’s also about transforming how we build homes to reduce construction costs, deliver consistent high quality design, increase capacity of the construction sector, and get homes completed faster.
“Offsite manufacturing firms from across New Zealand and around the world have put forward their ideas to help us do that. The KiwiBuild Unit will now work through the proposals from the companies.
“There is a real opportunity to leverage the procurement power of Government, and the certainty of KiwiBuild’s targets, to incentivise offsite manufacturers to come up with new ideas and to commit to the New Zealand market.
“The offsite manufacturing procurement process will take time. In the meantime, KiwiBuild is building affordable, starter homes for first home buyers. It’s doing this through underwriting eligible new developments, making land available for development and integrating affordable housing into major urban development projects,” Phil Twyford said.
Wed, 28 Nov 2018 09:41:27 +1300beehive.govt.nz106464New urban development agency unveiled to build more homes http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-urban-development-agency-unveiled-build-more-homes
The Housing and Urban Development Authority will have cut-through powers to build quality state and affordable homes and create thriving master-planned communities, announced Minister for Housing and Urban Development Phil Twyford.
The new authority will be responsible for leading the Government’s large-scale urban development projects and for being a world class state housing landlord. It will bring together three existing agencies that build homes – Housing New Zealand, its subsidiary HLC, and the KiwiBuild Unit.
Phil Twyford said this is the first big step towards creating the authority, which will have wide-ranging powers to transform suburbs, cutting through the roadblocks to large-scale development. Housing New Zealand’s role as a public landlord and its housing services and products will become part of the authority.
“The authority will transform the way New Zealanders live, work and play by building communities with a mix of public, affordable, and market housing, as well as the jobs, transport links, open spaces and facilities people need – it will do this at scale and pace so we can build our way out of the national housing crisis.
The authority will lead a range of large and small urban development projects throughout the country in partnership with local government, iwi and the private sector. For some large-scale complex development projects, it will have access to a range of statutory powers including:
shortened planning and consenting processes;
building and changing infrastructure;
funding infrastructure and development;
bringing together parcels of land; and
reconfiguring reserves.
“Over the coming months, we will continue to communicate the progress we’re making on our KiwiBuild and state home build programmes and further detail on how the urban development authority will operate.
“We’ll be partnering with local government, iwi, and the private sector to create communities where everyone can thrive. The authority could help with developments that are already underway, including the Mt Roskill and Porirua regenerations.
“There will be no change for Housing NZ tenants. Being a world-class public landlord will be a key priority for the new agency. It will have a strong social focus on the wellbeing of both its current and future tenants.
“We believe public and affordable housing should be at the heart of our developments. This move puts public housing at the heart of our ambitious plan to build master-planned communities,” Phil Twyford said.
New legislation to establish the Housing and Urban Development Authority will be introduced to Parliament in 2019, with the first projects expected to be up and running in early 2020.
“I look forward to public submissions as we work through the detail of the new authority during a full select committee process,” Phil Twyford said.
Sat, 24 Nov 2018 15:11:38 +1300beehive.govt.nz106414Review into NZTA regulatory performancehttp://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/review-nzta-regulatory-performance
Minister of Transport Phil Twyford has today requested that the Ministry of Transport, as the New Zealand Transport Agency’s (NZTA) monitor, review NZTA’s performance of their regulatory functions.
The review comes on the back of a number of concerns that have emerged around NZTA’s regulatory function and a backlog of compliance cases that have not been properly managed.
“When this issue was brought to my attention I was seriously concerned about the scope and seriousness of the failures that have occurred. That is why the Board announced the appointment of Meredith Connell to address the backlog of compliance files and to provide oversight of the Agency’s regulatory function, a move I strongly support.
“The Meredith Connell work is making good progress. All identified high priority files have been reviewed by them.
“Since then, given the information that I, and the public, became aware of this week around the Agency’s performance, it is appropriate to ask for external advice on NZTA’s regulatory performance.
“I have formally instructed the Ministry of Transport to review NZTA’s regulatory performance. There are a number of issues that need to be addressed to provide assurance to me, and the public that deficiencies around NZTA’s regulatory performance are identified and addressed, and that is why we are asking for advice on what changes to the regulatory function are required.”
“As I made clear when I first became aware of the backlog of cases, I am disappointed in the way NZTA has been carrying out their regulatory functions.
“Our Government is making safety a priority,” Phil Twyford said.
The review is due to be completed by the end of March 2019.
Fri, 23 Nov 2018 18:25:34 +1300beehive.govt.nz106410$29 million for safety improvements to SH3 http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/29-million-safety-improvements-sh3
There will be urgent safety improvements done on SH3 from Waitara to Bell Block to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries, Minister of Transport Phil Twyford announced today.
The $29 million dollar project will start in February and will include safety upgrades between Raleigh Street and Waiongana Stream. Over the next three years, a new right turn pocket on SH3 into Wills Road will be built, with an extension of the right turn pocket into Corbett Road following. There will also be SH3 widening between Wills/Corbett and Mahoetahi Road for wide shoulders with wire rope safety barriers.
Phil Twyford said that too many people are dying or being injured on our roads and these safety upgrades will make this busy section much safer while also catering for future growth.
“State Highway 3 is one of the busiest stretches of road in the region carrying a mix of freight and commuter traffic, and provides access to New Plymouth Airport and the Port.
“The NZ Transport Agency is prioritising urgent safety improvements to make them more forgiving of human error. Drivers will always make mistakes and the government’s job is to stop those mistakes turning into tragedies.
“The community has been asking for safety improvements for some time and I’d like to acknowledge them and New Plymouth Mayor Neil Holdom for their advocacy,” Phil Twyford said.
The Government is investing $4.3 billion in safety improvements nationwide over the next three years under the National Land Transport Programme to help save lives.
Tue, 20 Nov 2018 15:29:53 +1300beehive.govt.nz106376First New Plymouth KiwiBuild homes http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/first-new-plymouth-kiwibuild-homes
The first KiwiBuild homes in New Plymouth are expected to be completed in mid-2019, Minister for Housing and Urban Development Phil Twyford announced today.
There will be 68 modest starter homes built in Marfell with two-thirds being three-bedroom homes and the remainder four-bedroom. All of them will be built to a Homestar 6 rating with construction starting early next year.
Phil Twyford said KiwiBuild is about restoring the Kiwi dream of homeownership to thousands of young families who typically would have been able to buy their first home.
“This new community on Banks Street and Discovery Place is a fantastic opportunity for first home buyers who have been locked out of the market to get a very affordable home. It will rejuvenate an area that had been left with vacant lots and run down houses.
“Many of the KiwiBuild homes built at this development will be under $400,000, and all will have a maximum price of $450,000, meaning the mortgage repayments for houses in this price range will be same as the average rent for a three-bedroom home in New Plymouth.
“We’re giving hope back to over 1,400 people who’ve registered their interest in buying their first home in New Plymouth.
“I’d like to also acknowledge and thank the New Plymouth District Council who have been very supportive of this development and have helped with the planning process,” Phil Twyford said.
KiwiBuild will continue to offer a range of affordable homes for first home buyers, from inner city apartments to standalone homes, across the country.
Tue, 20 Nov 2018 15:28:16 +1300beehive.govt.nz106374Councils to consider case for Hamilton railhttp://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/councils-consider-case-hamilton-rail
Waikato councils will consider the business case for a start-up Hamilton to Auckland passenger rail service expected to begin in 2020, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today.
The Waikato Regional Transport Committee last week voted unanimously to include the proposed rail service in its local land transport plan. It will now be considered by Waikato Regional Council, the Waikato District Council and the Hamilton City Council.
Phil Twyford said the final business case approved by the New Zealand Transport Agency proposed a start-up service costing $57.77 million over the next three years.
“The initial service, intended to start in March 2020, would be operated by KiwiRail and include a northbound morning peak service and a southbound evening peak service.
“It would stop at Frankton, The Base, Huntly and Papakura. The Huntly platform would need to be upgraded and a new island platform would be needed at The Base.
“It would start with a four-carriage train which can carry 150 passengers each way. As demand grows, it would be expanded to a five-carriage train carrying up to 200 passengers.
“Our Government is committed to developing transport options in our urban areas by investing close to $4 billion in public transport, rapid transit and metro rail across the country through the National Land Transport Fund in the next three years.
“Instead of transport investment trying to play catch up, we need to lead growth and shape our towns and cities. More people are commuting between Hamilton and Auckland, and introducing this service will give them a choice in how they do that,” Phil Twyford said.
The NZTA Board will consider whether to fund the proposed start-up passenger rail service in December after the councils have made their decisions.
Thu, 15 Nov 2018 13:29:09 +1300beehive.govt.nz106318New Minister and Unit for Māori housinghttp://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-minister-and-unit-m%C4%81ori-housing
To improve housing opportunities for Māori, a dedicated Māori Housing Unit will be established and Minister Nanaia Mahuta will be appointed the Associate Minister of Housing and Urban Development (Māori Housing) to lead it, Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford announced today.
The Unit is being established within the new Ministry for Housing and Urban Development.
Phil Twyford said the Māori home ownership rate is only 43 per cent compared to 63% for the general population, Māori make up 36 per cent of public housing tenants yet comprise just under 15 per cent of the general population, and Māori are five times more likely than Pakeha to be homeless.
“These statistics are not acceptable to our Government. We are committed to making sure our policies deliver for Māori, through Kiwibuild, building more public housing, and ending homelessness.
“But we also recognise Māori can be and are already part of the solutions.
“Our Government is taking a collaborative approach with Māori organisations in a number of areas, including partnering to provide Housing First services for the chronically homeless.
“Partnerships with iwi and rōpū Māori are also becoming a significant feature of the KiwiBuild programme. As Treaty settlements are completed, iwi are increasingly looking to invest their land and capital in developments that will supply much needed housing. The Land for Housing programme currently has, or is working on, 11 agreements in partnership with iwi for potentially 2,260 KiwiBuild units.
“We also know that 13 per cent of those households who have enough income to service a mortgage on a KiwiBuild home are Māori households, which roughly reflects the Māori share of the general population. Whānau are well positioned to take advantage of the opportunities that KiwiBuild offers. We are also working on ways to broaden the pool of first home buyers to include more Māori households including looking for inspiration at schemes led by non-government organisations, such as the shared equity programme Te Tumu Kāinga has provided at the Waimahia Inlet development and others.
“This is just the start. I’m excited about what we can achieve together, under the helm of Minister Mahuta,” Phil Twyford said.
Wed, 14 Nov 2018 10:53:39 +1300beehive.govt.nz106300Maori Housing Conference, Turangawaewaehttp://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/maori-housing-conference-turangawaewae
Morena koutou and thank you to the conference organisers and our hosts Waikato-Tainui for the opportunity to speak today.
A little over a year ago, the Coalition Government made it plain this is a government formed to effect positive change.
Change will take courage because change can be unsettling to the status quo.
Change will mean collaboration and cooperation.
Change means we will have to do things differently.
Māori have been particularly hard-hit by the housing crisis.
Māori home ownership rates are only 43% compared to 63% for the general population;
Māori make up 36% of public housing tenants yet comprise just under 15% of the general population;
Māori are 5 times more likely than Pakeha to be homeless; and
Many Māori live in sub-standard or unsuitable housing, with negative impacts on their health, education, employment and other social outcomes.
I know many of you work with whanau facing these issues on a daily basis.
Unfairness on this scale is unacceptable to this Government.
The Honourable Nanaia Mahuta, Honourable Jenny Salesa and I meet on a regular basis as the Maori Housing Ministers Group.
We are taking a two-pronged approach.
We want to ensure all policy across housing and urban development works for Māori, and we are developing initiatives designed to meet Māori needs and aspirations.
I understand Minister Mahuta spoke to you yesterday about the second approach - our special initiatives for Maori housing, including the Government’s plans for papakainga housing; and removing the barriers to building on Māori land.
So I’d like to spend the rest of my time on how we are making sure our broader housing policy works for Māori.
Throughout our shared history, where the market has failed to provide adequate housing, the state has had to step in.
In 1905 New Zealand became the first nation in the Western world to provide public housing.
Faced with expensive, overcrowded and unsanitary housing in the inner cities, the Liberal Government of Dick Seddon built houses in the suburbs to provide an alternative for working-class families.
For most of the 20th century, the state provided some form of financial assistance for those wanting to buy a home.
In the 1930s the first Labour Government embarked on an ambitious state housing programme to offset shortages caused by the Depression and an increasing population.
It wasn’t until 1948 that Māori could participate in mainstream state housing, as Māori migration to the cities increased.
Maori Affairs expanded their housing portfolio during the 1950s and by the mid-60s was making over 1,000 houses available, and the State Advances Corporation was providing hundreds of loans and state rentals for Maori.
Maori Affairs Housing, alongside concessional mortgage finance provided by State Advances, and the ability to capitalise the Family Benefit for a deposit, put generations of whanau into their own homes during the fifties, sixties and seventies.
Sadly, successive governments abandoned direct intervention to promote home ownership for first home buyers. In 1991, 57% of Maori whanau lived in homes they owned. Maori home ownership fell to 43% by 2013.
We can look back over the history of government intervention in housing and take some comfort that the hands-off approach of the past few decades has been something of an aberration.
We again have a Government now that is determined to intervene to ensure every family has a warm, dry and affordable home.
I take inspiration from what Michael Joseph Savage said about state housing: "We are trying to cater for everyone ... we do not claim perfection, but we do claim a considerable advance on what has been done in the past."
I know some of you will be familiar with our overall housing programme, but some will not, so I want to give you a brief summary before moving on to the opportunities it presents for Māori.
Our priorities to address the housing crisis are:
Building affordable houses through KiwiBuild;
Increasing the supply of public housing;
Ending homelessness;
Modernising tenancy rules to enable more secure rental housing, and setting standards to make sure all rentals are warm and dry;
Establishing an Urban Development Authority with the tools to make room for growth in our cities;
Progressing an Urban Growth Agenda to drive changes to urban land and infrastructure.
You will be aware of our particular focus on KiwiBuild.
This is our plan to address the chronic shortage of modest, affordable starter homes for first home buyers; homes the market on its own does not provide.
Ensuring Māori benefit from KiwiBuild, and secure a fair share of the houses, is a priority.
When I recently announced $38 million in infrastructure to allow housing to be built on the shores of Lake Waikare at Te Kauwhata, Waikato-Tainui kaumatua Robert Tukuri challenged me as the Maori TV cameras were rolling to make sure some of the houses there would be Kiwibuild.
I went back a few months later to announce 175 Kiwibuild homes will be built as part of that development. Robert came back as well, and challenged me again in front of the Maori TV cameras to ensure that Maori would be able to afford those Kiwibuild homes.
I welcome that challenge.
We know Māori are generally under-represented when it comes to home ownership.
But we also know that 13 percent of those households who have enough income to service a mortgage on a KiwiBuild home are Māori households.
This suggests there is potential for a large number of whānau Māori to benefit from KiwiBuild.
But there might be other factors which make this more difficult for Māori, especially the challenge of saving enough for a deposit.
In the 1960s, when most home loans came from the state, a family could ‘capitalise’ the family benefit to raise the deposit, and then secure a State Advances loan.
The financial world is very different today.
We are working on ways to broaden the pool of first home buyers to include more Māori households.
That includes looking for inspiration at schemes led by non-government organisations, such as the shared equity programme Te Tumu Kāinga has provided at the Waimahia Inlet development and others.
We are laying the foundations right now for Kiwibuild. It’s my vision that we will in time put alongside Kiwibuild a shared equity programme, and the kind of financial capability outreach to whanau that will help them plan and save and get into a situation where they feel confident about taking on a mortgage.
Ensuring a supply of affordable homes, financial assistance for first home buyers, and direct engagement with whanau – that was the magic combination of Maori Affairs housing that was so successful during the time of our parents and grandparents.
But when 57% of Maori are renters, we have to do more than just promote home ownership.
We need to build more public housing. And modernise the tenancy laws to make life better for renters.
Reforms to the Residential Tenancies Act will promote stable tenancies in the private rental market; and the Healthy Homes Guarantee Act will introduce minimum standards for warmer, drier rental homes.
We also recognise demand for public housing, for families who can’t afford to rent in the private market, is also outstripping supply.
Of all the applicants on the Public Housing Register, the single largest ethnicity is Māori at 44%.
In this year’s Budget we’ve made a steady start, providing funding to increase the supply of public housing by 6,400 over the next 4 years.
On that basis, I would expect approximately 3,000 of these new state and community provided homes will go to Māori.
We are re-focusing the work of Housing New Zealand so they can be a more compassionate landlord, and significantly ramp up their build programme to supply desperately needed state housing.
And we are continuing to build partnerships with Maori community housing providers to deliver some of those new homes.
For those facing immediate housing needs, we’re investing more funding in transitional housing in high-need regions, to place up to 34,000 families and individuals over the next 4 years.
Again, we believe Māori will benefit from these measures.
Another priority for the Māori Housing Ministers is preventing and responding to Māori homelessness.
As an immediate response while we increase the supply of long term public housing, we provided 1,742 additional places over this past winter, exceeding our target of 1,537.
People who have been homeless for a long time, and face multiple and complex issues, require a different response to those who find themselves temporarily without housing.
That’s why we’re expanding programmes like Housing First.
We’re boosting funding for existing Housing First programmes in Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington, the Hutt Valley and Christchurch, and starting new programmes in Northland and Whangarei, Rotorua, Hawke’s Bay, and Blenheim and Nelson.
True to the label, the idea behind Housing First is that a homeless person is first found a home, and then supported to address the issues that led to their homelessness.
It is much easier for people to address complex issues, such as mental health problems and addiction, once they have the security of a roof over their head.
The support services will help them to make positive steps towards a healthier and safer life, reduce harmful behaviours, set goals, integrate with the community and connect to iwi and whānau.
The aim is to end homelessness, not just to manage it.
We are seeking a collaborative approach with iwi and hapū to deliver Housing First in each region, and the adoption of a kaupapa Māori approach.
For example, last month my colleague Nanaia Mahuta launched Housing First in Rotorua, which is a partnership led by Taumata o Ngāti Whakaue Trust, LinkPeople and Lifewise.
I also want to acknowledge the work of other Māori organisations in response to homelessness, such as Te Puea Marae in Mangere, and the emergency housing provided by Ngāti Porou in Gisborne.
Earlier, I mentioned the need for real change in housing.
Looking to the future, there are further opportunities for innovative and enduring partnerships with Māori.
The first is the new Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
The new Ministry will take the lead on driving progress in Māori housing.
The new Chief Executive, Andrew Crisp, will be speaking to you shortly, however it is essential that the new Ministry not only engages with Māori across all housing policy, but has the capability to understand and respond effectively to Māori housing issues.
To that end, Andrew and his team are moving to establish a Maori Housing Unit to provide that dedicated capability.
And I’m very happy to announce the Prime Minister has appointed my colleague the Hon Nanaia Mahuta Associate Minister of Housing and Urban Development with responsibility for Maori Housing. She’ll have my total support and we will be working together to ensure our housing policies and programmes deliver for Maori.
We are committed to ensuring Government policies deliver for Maori, through Kiwibuild, building more public housing, and ending homelessness. But we also recognise Maori can be and are already part of the solutions.
As Minister I have already received a great deal of help from your sector. I want to thank you for that.
From the informed and considered advocacy of Te Matapihi, and the Independent Maori Statutory Board.
To Ngai Tahu and their commercial property operation stepping up to take on large scale commercial development.
To the Tamaki iwi who have sat down with us in recent months to hammer out how the Crown and iwi can partner together on kthe precious development site at Wairaka.
To the innovative delivery of services for people who are homeless by Te Puea Marae.
And He Korowai Trust’s work helping whanau into supported home ownership.
There is so much creative and entrepreneurial work going on.
Another example is the Waikato-Tainui redevelopment of the former Jebson Place housing in Hamilton – holding workshops with prospective home-owners to learn about mortgages and the like, so they have the best opportunity to succeed.
Partnerships with iwi and other Māori organisations are becoming a significant feature of the KiwiBuild programme.
As Treaty settlements are completed, iwi are increasingly looking to invest land and capital in developments that will supply much needed housing.
Without those partnerships we would have less land to build on.
The Land for Housing programme currently has, or is working on, 11 agreements in partnership with iwi for potentially 2,260 KiwiBuild homes.
The total yield across the 11 iwi partnerships to date could be 5,369, as most of the developments are mixed, including public housing and papakainga, as well as market housing.
Although most of these developments have been in Tāmaki Makaurau, we are also working with iwi on a number of developments in other regions.
KiwiBuild is an opportunity to harness the Māori entrepreneurial spirit, and iwi are ideally placed to support the scale of these developments.
Another significant aspect of change in housing will be the establishment of an Urban Development Authority, to carry out large-scale, complex developments.
This will create significant opportunities for Māori.
The UDA will have wide-ranging powers to transform suburbs, cutting through the roadblocks to development.
It means we can engineer outcomes that the market cannot or will not provide, ensuring there is a diversity of housing available.
The UDA will be a powerful tool to empower partnership with Maori in housing and will protect the interests of Māori.
Where the UDA carries out functions normally carried out by local authorities under the Resource Management Act, any existing participation rights for Māori are still provided for.
We are currently refining proposals which will allow Māori organisations to share in the governance and leadership of these projects.
This is about better outcomes for urban whānau and their communities and making sure that the urban environment reflects their needs and aspirations.
Only recently we announced the Porirua redevelopment with Ngati Toa that will revitalise the East with 2,900 new state houses and 2,000 Kiwibuild and market houses. In the West, the partnership will upgrade and manage 900 properties.
This is a ground breaking new approach. Ngati Toa had Rights of First Refusal on a large number of state houses from their treaty settlement. We used that as a starting point and together have put together a partnership between the Crown, Ngati Toa and the Porirua City Council to invest $1.5 billion into the regeneration of Eastern Porirua while establishing Ngati Toa as a public housing provider in the Western side.
Part and parcel of the change agenda in housing is the Urban Growth Agenda, which aims to address the fundamentals of land supply, development capacity, and infrastructure provision.
Our main aim with the UGA is to improve housing affordability, by making urban land more affordable.
This will also serve the wider objectives of improving access to employment, education and services; and reducing emissions through better transport links.
One example where iwi will be involved within the UGA is in spatial planning for the Auckland to Hamilton corridor.
This is about making sure Māori participate at a broader, strategic level in the future of housing and urban development.
The new Ministry for Housing and Urban Development aims to see beyond the Crown’s obligations under Treaty settlements, and to pro-actively engage with iwi as development partners.
For iwi, this is not necessarily just a case of leveraging their financial assets, as some of the groups have received relatively modest amounts of cash and land in settlements.
The drivers are also social and cultural.
The involvement of iwi in these developments will help to achieve broader outcomes, such as unlocking opportunities for papakainga, building the capacity of Māori as developers, and also through training and apprenticeships for rangatahi.
Iwi also bring a different perspective to these projects, focusing on the long term needs of local people, in contrast to the short term drivers which traditionally characterise the development sector.
In conclusion, the thread which runs through our response to Māori housing is partnership.
We know from our shared history that the state needs to get involved in housing if outcomes for Māori are to improve and our dreams are to be realised.
But when a strong state partners with Maori and the wider community, then I think we can really achieve our goals.
Ka mahi au, ka inoi au, ka moe au, ka mahi ano.
I work, I pray, I sleep, and then I work again.
Those are the words of a woman of action Te Puea Herangi who strived through hard work and strong relationships to build a legacy of sustainable enterprise and wellbeing.
We cannot do this alone. We must do it together.
I invite you to join with us in creating a better future. A future that is fair and just and where the wellbeing of all our people is at the heart of all we do.
President Kennedy had a small plaque on his desk that he cherished. It said “Oh God, thy sea is so great and my boat is so small.”
I need you in that boat with me.
No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa.
Wed, 14 Nov 2018 10:17:19 +1300beehive.govt.nz106296Major infrastructure partnership for North Aucklandhttp://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/major-infrastructure-partnership-north-auckland
Minister of Housing and Urban Development Phil Twyford and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff today announced a partnership that will fund $91 million of roading and wastewater infrastructure to support the building of 9000 homes at Wainui, north of Auckland.
The Government Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) has been created in partnership with Auckland Council, Crown Infrastructure Partners and Fulton Hogan Land Development.
Phil Twyford said the Milldale project demonstrates an approach to funding that allows private investment in new infrastructure with the debt sitting on a balance sheet that is neither the Council’s or the Government’s.
“The Milldale project is an example of the innovative new approaches to financing infrastructure that the Government is developing through the Urban Growth Agenda. This funding model can be used in other high growth areas affected by the housing crisis to help more houses to be built more quickly.
“This could include private investment in infrastructure funded by a charge on the properties that benefit from the infrastructure.
“This new infrastructure funding model will result in a large number of homes being built much sooner than otherwise would have been the case.
“One of the major road blocks to our towns and cities growing is the lack of ready access to finance for the infrastructure that allows for new urban growth, for green or brownfields developments,” Phil Twyford said.
Phil Goff said Milldale will be a great place for Aucklanders keen to live in a new modern eco-friendly environment connected to the rapid transport network.
“A key priority for us in Auckland is to address the shortage and unaffordability of houses in our city,” Phil Goff said.
“We’ve zoned much more land for housing, but we need the infrastructure before we can build on it.
“Using Crown Infrastructure Partners to fund that infrastructure enables us to build roads, water and wastewater services without overburdening Council with debt and exceeding our debt to revenue ratio.
“We can build more homes sooner and tackle the housing crisis quicker than would otherwise have been possible.
“This Project enables nearly 4,000 new dwellings in Milldale and the infrastructure can support another 5,000 dwellings in the surrounding areas as well. It’s a big step towards meeting Auckland’s housing needs,” Phil Goff said.
Fulton Hogan Land Development has already started work on the Milldale development at Wainui, which will have nearly 4,000 homes and businesses. The infrastructure being funded will support the Milldale development and will also enable another 5,000 homes to be built nearby, with $33.5 million funding for this being provided by Auckland Council.
Crown Infrastructure Partners has secured long-term fixed-rate debt from Accident Compensation Corporation. The SPV will be funding $48.9 million towards the infrastructure, with the Crown contributing less than $4 million.
The SPV funding will be repaid over time partly by Fulton Hogan Land Development and partly by section owners as an ‘infrastructure payment’ collected with Council rates bills. This new model of infrastructure financing means that long term debt can be raised through the SPV to enable the building of large scale infrastructure, which is needed to step up the rate houses being built, and to assist Councils who are nearing their debt limits.
The Milldale development will be a modern, contained urban development with green spaces and parks, a town centre, cycleways and walkways, and potentially education facilities, and will be connected to the Northern busway.
Fulton Hogan Land Development in conjunction with a joint venture partner has previously developed Millwater, on the eastern side of the northern motorway and sees Milldale as the next evolution of this urban development.
Note to editors:
The infrastructure includes a new arterial road and bridge connecting Wainui Road to the Silverdale Interchange and Dairy Flat Highway, intersection upgrades, a roading extension and bridge to Highgate Parkway on the eastern side of the motorway, and wastewater tunnels.
Construction on the infrastructure has already commenced (the wastewater tunnel) with the first residential sections to be released in the early new year.
The infrastructure funding and financing pillar of the Urban Growth Agenda will enable responsive infrastructure provision and appropriate cost allocation, including the use of project financing and access to financial capital. It aims to reform infrastructure funding and financing through:
Providing a broader range of tools and mechanisms to enable net beneficial bulk and distribution infrastructure to be funded;
Rebalancing development risk from local authorities to the development sector; and
Making long term debt finance available to developers willing to take on the commercial risk, with the debt serviced by revenue from the new properties in a development.
Tue, 13 Nov 2018 09:32:21 +1300beehive.govt.nz1062721300 more households in public housing http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/1300-more-households-public-housing
There are 1300 more households in public housing than a year ago, Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford announced today.
Latest figures from the Public Housing Quarterly Report show that the Government is pulling out all the stops to house and support people in the face of the housing crisis, Phil Twyford said.
“In the September quarter, we increased the number of public housing tenancies by 451. We also made 244 more transitional housing places available and housed 1,721 households from public housing waiting list.
“There are also 413 homeless people or families now in stable housing through the Housing First programme in Auckland, Christchurch and Tauranga.
“At the same time, we’re seeing more people coming forward for help, which is particularly telling, considering we made 1,742 additional public housing, transitional housing and Housing First places available for people in need this winter.
“The continuing demand for public housing and other housing support shows that it’s going to take a concerted effort over many years to end homelessness. The housing crisis was created over a decade and isn’t going to be fixed overnight.
“There are now 66,235 households in public housing, with 9,536 households on the waiting list for public housing. This shows the hidden homeless that we warned about at the beginning of the year are continuing to come forward,” Phil Twyford said.
The number of people or families seeking Emergency Housing Special Needs Grants rose to 3,840 in the September quarter – 33 per cent more than the previous quarter.
The number of transitional housing places tenanted or available is now 2,585. These are warm, dry and secure housing places and support for people or families while they find a longer-term home.
“While we build New Zealand out of the national housing crisis, including by building 6,400 more public housing places over the next four years, we’ll continue to do whatever it takes to support people and families in need,” Phil Twyford said.
Note to editor:
The majority of all applicants on the public housing waiting list are already receiving some form of housing assistance from the Ministry of Social Development. This may include financial assistance to maintain an existing tenancy, the provision of transitional housing, or the payment of an Emergency Housing Special Needs Grant.
September 2018 Public Housing Quarterly Report at a glance:
Public Housing Supply - The total number of public housing tenancies increased by 451 over the September 2018 quarter. Work continues with the housing sector to build around 6,400 more public housing places by June 2022 – 1,600 per year on average.
Transitional Housing - An additional 244 transitional housing places became available in the quarter, with a total of 2,585 places now tenanted or available for tenanting.
Housing First - Housing First services for long-term homeless people in Auckland, Tauranga and Christchurch had housed 413 households as at 30 September 2018, in both public and private housing.
People housed – 1,660 households or individual applicants moved into public housing from the Housing Register, and a further 61 moved from the Transfer Register. That’s a combined 13% increase on last quarter.
Public Housing Demand: The Housing Register of applicants for public housing increased by 10% over the previous quarter, and is up 58% on the same time last year. As of 30 September, 9,536 households were on the Housing Register for public housing and 2,076 on the Transfer Register, totalling 11,612 on the Social Housing Register.
Emergency Housing Special Needs Grant - The number of households granted an Emergency Housing Special Needs Grants (EH SNG) increased by 33% over the previous quarter as more people come forward to MSD for housing support.
Housing Support – In the September 2018 quarter, MSD invested $692.5 million in housing support, an increase of $46 million over the previous quarter. This year around $2.8 billion will be spent on providing New Zealanders with housing support.
The Public Housing Quarterly Report is released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD formed on 1 October to deliver the Government’s housing and urban development programme to end homelessness, make housing affordable and cities more liveable. The Housing Quarterly Report contains information on public housing and housing support from both the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 09:23:05 +1300beehive.govt.nz106218Government saves electric trains http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-saves-electric-trains
The Government is keeping electric locomotives on the North Island Main Trunk Line running to help meet its long term emissions goals and boost the economy.
The 15 electric trains will be refurbished by KiwiRail and will continue to run between Hamilton and Palmerston North.
The refurbishment of the trains and electric control system is funded with an additional $35 million over four years. This is additional to the $4 billion for public transport and rail under the National Land Transport Programme.
Deputy Prime Minister and shareholding Minister Winston Peters said refurbishing these trains in New Zealand was looking to the future of our environment and economy.
“We’re making the right decision for the long term. Replacing electric locomotives with diesel would be a step backwards.
“By refurbishing these locomotives here, we’re creating jobs in KiwiRail’s Hutt Workshop and supporting our local rail industry. It just makes sense,” Winston Peters said.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford said this decision supports the Government’s wider $4 billion package in public transport, rapid transit and rail.
“Rail connects regions with the cities and helps create a more modern, sustainable transport network. Keeping the electric trains shows that we are continuing to invest in the future,” Phil Twyford said.
Acting Associate Transport Minister James Shaw said New Zealand can’t move to a zero carbon future by moving away from clean energy.
“Choosing to invest in clean, electric transport is essential to meeting the challenge of climate change.
“Keeping the electric trains on-track is the right thing to do for the future of rail, particularly as we investigate options for further electrification of the network and the role of hydrogen-fuelled trains,” James Shaw said.
The Government continues to work with KiwiRail, including through the Future of Rail project, to consider how the Government’s environmental objectives can be supported through investment in rail.
The project will assess the effectiveness of New Zealand’s current rail operations and identify the role it can play in supporting urban development and the growth of our freight and tourism sectors.
Tue, 30 Oct 2018 14:54:50 +1300beehive.govt.nz106088First KiwiBuild families welcomed to their new homeshttp://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/first-kiwibuild-families-welcomed-their-new-homes
The first 18 KiwiBuild families have been welcomed to their new homes by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford and the local community.
A street party was held this morning in the McLennan development in Papakura and gave existing residents a chance to meet their new KiwiBuild neighbours.
Jacinda Ardern said KiwiBuild is giving thousands of young families who have been locked out of homeownership a chance to buy their own affordable, starter home.
“Having a home is not about just the bricks and mortar, it’s about being able to put down roots for future generations. It’s about giving our kids, and their kids to come, a place to call home.
“Our Government believes that housing is at the heart of what makes communities strong. Everyone deserves to have a warm, dry and affordable home.
“It’s fitting that we’re welcoming the first KiwiBuild families into their own homes on the first anniversary of forming our Government. It’s incredibly heart-warming,” Jacinda Ardern said.
Phil Twyford said the Government is committed to tackling the national housing crisis, and the terrible impacts on our families of unaffordable housing and a rental market under pressure.
“These 18 families today make KiwiBuild a reality. This is just the beginning.
“We are busy building more KiwiBuild houses throughout the country. We’re also making housing more affordable by banning overseas speculators and closing tax loopholes, and reforming the rental market.
“There is still a lot of work to do to build our way out of the housing crisis, but today shows the progress we are already making,” Phil Twyford said.
Sat, 27 Oct 2018 10:59:50 +1300beehive.govt.nz106060A new, safe cycleway for West Aucklanders http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-safe-cycleway-west-aucklanders
Minister of Transport Phil Twyford today opened the new cycleway in New Lynn that will ease congestion and make Auckland a healthier and safer place to live.
The $2.2 million project provides an off-road cycleway on Seabrook Avenue, as well as improve four local intersections between Willerton Avenue and the New Lynn train station and town centre. It also includes new bike parking racks, upgraded street lighting and new signage.
The project will connect to the Waterview Shared Path, via the upcoming New Lynn to Avondale Shared Path, improving the West Auckland cycleway network.
“The Seabrook Avenue Cycleway will encourage more walking and cycling trips in the area and help children cycle to and from New Lynn School safely,” Phil Twyford said at the ribbon cutting ceremony today.
“More Aucklanders are cycling, with 19 per cent of Auckland bike riders regularly commuting to and from work. Safe and accessible cycle routes give people a heathier travel option to get to work, school and play without adding to the traffic.”
“Our government is committed to saving lives on the road and this project will help do that by slowing down vehicles at intersections and prioritising pedestrians and cyclists,” Phil Twyford said.
The NZ Transport Agency is investing $390 million in walking and cycling over the next three years through the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP). This is a $96 million increase on the previous three years.
Phil Twyford said that $260 million of the funding is going to cycling and walking facilities in our three main cities – Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch – where it can have the greatest impact on congestion by improving connections and making active travel safer.
“Together, we are creating safer, healthier, and more accessible cities where people of all ages and abilities can choose to bike every day,” said Phil Twyford.
Fri, 26 Oct 2018 13:57:43 +1300beehive.govt.nz106056Ballot opens for the first Waikato KiwiBuild homes http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/ballot-opens-first-waikato-kiwibuild-homes
Minister of Housing and Urban Development Phil Twyford today announced that the ballot will open next week for the first KiwiBuild homes to be built in the Waikato.
The first 10 KiwiBuild homes to be balloted at the Lakeside development in Te Kauwhata are two-bedroom modern standalone homes, all fully landscaped with off-street parking and a home appliance package. They are priced at $480,000 each, well under the KiwiBuild price caps.
Initial works are already underway and construction of these 10 KiwiBuild homes will be completed by Christmas 2019. The ballot opens on Monday 29th October for these first ten homes.
Phil Twyford said there will be 175 KiwiBuild homes in this development, and complements wider central and local government investment in infrastructure in and around Te Kauwhata.
“Te Kauwhata is expected to be a major growth area in North Waikato. That’s why in July, I confirmed $38 million of 10-year interest-free loans to Waikato District Council to support major infrastructure projects around Te Kauwhata to enable the building of more houses. At the time, I said I hope we’ll see affordable starter homes for young families built right here in Lakeside, and now there will be thanks to Winton and KiwiBuild.
The Lakeside development is a master-planned community nestled on the banks of Lake Waikare, less than a kilometre from the Te Kauwhata town centre and its schools and other facilities.
It will comprise 1,600 homes, including the 175 KiwiBuild homes, and its own village centre, which will have a range of amenities for relaxed family living. As part of the development, over 5km of walking and cycling trails are being created, giving public access to the banks of Lake Waikare for the first time. A large recreational lake is also being created to the east of the development.
Phil Twyford said KiwiBuild will continue to offer a range of affordable homes for first home buyers, from inner city apartments to lifestyle-focused standalone homes, across the country.
“This will be a great option for young families who have been locked out of the housing market to live in an area with significant lifestyle benefits,” Phil Twyford said.
Notes to editor:
Only eligible, pre-qualified buyers can enter the ballots for these houses, so anyone interested should visit the KiwiBuild website and begin the pre-qualification process.
KiwiBuild incentivises property developers to build more quality, affordable homes faster, by reducing their risk in a number of ways, including underwriting homes in new developments.
KiwiBuild is on track to deliver 1000 KiwiBuild homes by mid-2019, then a further 5000 homes by June 2020 and another 10,000 homes by June 2021.
For more information please go to www.kiwibuild.govt.nz
KiwiBuild eligibility
To ensure KiwiBuild homes go to the people they are intended for, applicants must:
Be a first-time buyer or a ‘second chancer’
Have an income of less than $120,000 for a single buyer, or no more than $180,000 for more than one purchaser,
Be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, or a resident visa holder who is ‘ordinarily resident in New Zealand’,
And intend to own and live in the home as their primary place of residence for at least three years.
Pre-qualification requirements
The online pre-qualification process will ask for specific documentation certified by an authorised person (e.g. Justice of the Peace, lawyer, etc) including:
Proof of citizenship/residency
Proof of income
Financial pre-approval from a bank or other lender
Statutory declaration signed by an authorised person (e.g. a Justice of the Peace, lawyer)
Thu, 25 Oct 2018 09:38:11 +1300beehive.govt.nz106032Transport Minister welcomes first NZTA re-evaluationshttp://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/transport-minister-welcomes-first-nzta-re-evaluations
Minister of Transport Phil Twyford says the New Zealand Transport Agency’s re-evaluation of SH2 Waihi to Tauranga, Otaki to North of Levin, and Whangarei to Warkworth has produced the best solution for their local communities.
All the routes will receive four lanes of capacity in total, when combining the improved existing highways with the addition of new two lane highways and urgent safety improvements.
Phil Twyford said nobody wants any more lives lost on these roads.
“NZTA is prioritising urgent safety improvements to these roads to make them more forgiving of human error. Drivers will always make mistakes and the government’s job is to stop those mistakes turning into tragedies.
“A total of four lanes of capacity along these routes will help meet future traffic volumes.
“These re-evaluated projects will help grow our regions, get the best value for our transport dollar, and save lives on our roads,” said Phil Twyford.
The nine other re-evaluations are on-going and all will be complete in December.
Wed, 24 Oct 2018 16:49:34 +1300beehive.govt.nz106022No regional fuel tax for Wellington http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/no-regional-fuel-tax-wellington
Transport Minister Phil Twyford says Opposition Leader Simon Bridges’ claim that the Government is in discussion with Wellington councils about a regional fuel tax is categorically wrong.
“The Government has explicitly ruled out a regional fuel tax in Wellington,” Phil Twyford said.
“The Wellington councils have asked for a regional fuel tax. I have ruled it out.
“Like many councils around the country, Wellington was left with a massive infrastructure deficit from the former government. These councils are desperate for funding to build much needed transport infrastructure,” Phil Twyford says.
Wed, 24 Oct 2018 09:37:41 +1300beehive.govt.nz106012Speech to NZPIF AGM 2018 http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/speech-nzpif-agm-2018
Thank you for inviting me here this evening to speak to you. Thank you Andrew for your introduction and thank you Cliff Seque and the Otago Property Investors’ Association for hosting us in Dunedin. I’d also like to acknowledge Sharon Cullwick, President of the Property Investors Federation.
The Government has a vision of helping more New Zealanders into their first homes and making housing more affordable. But we can’t forget that long term renting has become a reality for more New Zealanders. We need to modernise our tenancy laws to reflect that reality.
This work is part of a bold, comprehensive plan of reform across housing, urban development and transport.
To bring leadership and focus to the housing and urban development parts of our plan, we united a range of previously fragmented housing policy, funding and regulatory functions from across government into the new Ministry for Housing and Urban Development.
The new Ministry will help us build New Zealand out of the national housing crisis and restore the basic right to healthy, affordable housing for all New Zealanders.
I understand and acknowledge that landlords like you play an integral part in helping us address some of the housing challenges we are facing as a country.
You are key players in a market that is experiencing some quite dramatic changes – some of these happening at a fast pace.
Homeownership rates are the lowest they have been in 66 years. As home ownership has decreased, renting has become the norm for many people – rather than just a temporary thing before they buy their own home.
It is important to bear in mind which kinds of New Zealanders are living in the private rental market. Census data tells us that 63 percent of the households that rent primarily identify as being single family units.
It is becoming more common for children to be raised in rental properties. 43 percent of children live in rental households, and in Auckland this figure sits at 53 percent of children.
These families are mainly renting from private landlords, like yourselves.
Only around 11 percent of renters are in public housing.
People on low incomes are more likely to rent.
Māori, Pacific people and disabled people are disproportionately represented in the renting population.
People who rent move more often. Tenancy agreements are rarely long-term in New Zealand and tenure can be insecure. For some tenants this may not be a problem, but increasingly people are looking for security of tenure – particularly families with children.
The 2013 Census data shows that approximately 60 percent of renters had lived in their current properties for less than three years, compared with 30 percent of owner occupiers.
By examining bonds lodged at MBIE, the most common length of a tenancy in the private rental market between 2010 and 2017 was just less than 12 months.
Research into housing quality demonstrates that rental properties generally tend to be in poorer condition than owner-occupied houses.
There is a greater prevalence of mould and damp, which can cause serious health conditions and illnesses. These houses also tend to be harder to heat and have inadequate insulation.
The main piece of law governing interactions between landlords and tenants – the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (RTA), is over 30 years old.
When the law came into force, a quarter of all households rented, now, over a third do.
This changing nature of our rental market makes it timely to assess whether our laws are fit for purpose.
There is a raft of RTA reforms coming, as well as others relating to healthy homes – all designed to improve the lives of renters and to ensure they are able to make a home in a place that is warm, dry and healthy.
They are also about improving the relationships between tenants and landlords while ensuring there are appropriate protections in place.
We want landlords to be confident that their property will be well looked after as well as more easily deal with rogue tenants.
We’re trying to strike the right balance between rights which help tenants feel at home and their responsibility to look after the rental they’re in.
My officials at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development are currently consulting on the Reform of the RTA that focuses on priority areas to:
improve the security and stability for tenants while maintaining adequate protection of landlords’ interests
balance the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords to promote good faith tenancy relationships
ensure the legislation can respond to changing trends in rental markets
improve the quality standards of boarding houses and the accountability of their operators.
Officials are looking at a number of areas of the legislation to meet these objectives as part of the reform.
There are many property investors and landlords, like you here today, who operate their businesses with integrity and professionalism. The reforms are not about punishing you.
It is about trying to bring others in the industry, including some tenants, up to a higher level of performance.
We know that security of tenure is vital to people’s wellbeing. It helps kids do better in school; parents to maintain stable employment, and whole families contribute to their communities. Secure tenancies also make good business sense. Long term tenants are more likely to care for their rental properties like they would their own home.
The reform looks at removing ‘no cause’ terminations, and extending notice periods for ending periodic tenancies in general from 42 to 90 days.
I understand that landlords still need to be able to effectively run their business, and that there will be legitimate reasons why tenancies need to end at times.
We are seeking feedback on what grounds should be included in the RTA to ensure that landlords’ interests are adequately protected. I encourage you to look at the proposed grounds in the discussion document and let us know how these align with your experiences.
Other issues we are seeking feedback on include:
Whether the rights and responsibilities that tenants have are well understood and whether they are reflective of the modern renting environment.
The circumstances under which tenants should be allowed to keep pets in rental.
The existing modifications provisions. Currently, a landlord cannot unreasonably decline a tenants request to make modifications. Our aim is to not give tenants the ability to make significant or structural changes to a property. It’s about letting tenants make minor modifications that will help them feel safer and more at home. For example, hanging pictures, baby proofing, and securing furniture to walls to prevent it falling over in an earthquake.
Limiting rent increases to once per year.
How boarding houses are defined and looking at options to improve the quality of boarding houses.
Finally, the reform looks at enforcement powers currently available to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. We are seeking your feedback on whether a wider range of enforcement powers and compliance tools would lead to greater levels of compliance.
Officials have advised me that making changes to the termination provisions for periodic agreements could lead to wider use of shorter, fixed-term agreements which could have negative outcomes for tenure security if it results in greater turnover of tenancies. So, we are also looking at whether changes should be made to the existing types of tenancy agreements that are on offer to ensure we achieve the desired security of tenure outcomes.
I understand that many of you have already submitted on the reforms. For those of you who have not yet been involved, submissions are open until 21 October and I encourage you to have your say on the proposed reforms.
I expect a Bill to be introduced to Parliament in the second half of 2019 with changes being implemented in 2020.
We are also consulting on the healthy homes standards under the Healthy Homes Guarantee Act.
The Act enables the government to set minimum standards that rental properties must meet through regulations in relation to heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture control and drainage, and draught stopping.
We wouldn’t allow a restaurant to sell food that was unsafe, but for too long we have allowed people to rent houses that are a threat to their health. We are proposing to create standards across all these areas, and are currently consulting on what should be included in those standards.
One of the first points I want to make here is that the existing requirements for insulation and smoke alarms are still in place. The proposed Healthy Homes Standards do not change the 1 July 2019 deadline for them.
We are seeking feedback on a new insulation standard but under all proposed insulation options, landlords who install new ceiling and underfloor insulation to comply with the current insulation requirements would not need to carry out further work on that insulation to comply with the healthy homes standards as long as the insulation remains in reasonable condition.
In the discussion document, we are seeking feedback on the following:
The type of heater landlords should be required to provide and where they should be located
The insulation standard - we are asking questions about whether the minimum level for ceiling and underfloor insulation should align with the 1978 Building Code Insulation Standard, as it does currently, or whether the 2001 or 2008 standard should be used.
Ventilation - we are seeking feedback on what the method of ventilation should be in rental homes – are openable windows enough or should rental properties also have extractor fans in kitchen and bathrooms.
We are also consulting on whether landlords should be required to install ground moisture barriers or have vents under the floor to protect against moisture entering the home, and seeking feedback on whether any unnecessary gaps or holes that cause noticeable draughts should be stopped.
Regulations will also provide for compliance dates. While the Act contains an overarching 2024 compliance date deadline, regulations could bring some of these aspects into force sooner. We want to hear from you on three options for the compliance dates
Applying the standards to all new tenancies from a set date, such as July 2021.Once a new tenancy has started there would be a grace period after which the home would have to comply with the standards.
Applying the standards to all tenancies from a set date such as July 2022.
Phasing them in between July 2019 and July 2024. This option could be based on the standard or by the location of the rental home.
Consultation on the Healthy Homes Standards is open until 22 October 2018. I am expecting to have the new requirements decided by 1 July next year.
I appreciate that most of you will be engaging in the consultation process for both the Healthy Homes Standards and the RTA Reform, I thank you for that. Having practical knowledge from experienced landlords in the sector is really important and will ensure the legislation is fit for purpose.
We have a range of other reforms that will affect the residential property market, including:
The Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill (No 2) which will make amendments to the RTA related to contamination (including methamphetamine), liability damage to rental properties caused by a tenant, and tenancies over rental properties that are unlawful for residential use.
We are putting an end to letting fees.
We are discouraging speculation in the housing market through the extension of the bright line test out to five years, and through our adjustments to the tax settings and ban on foreign buyers.
We are working to improve the fairness in the tax system and remove the loss ring fencing provisions that create an unfair advantage over first home buyers.
We aim to rein in the worst excesses of the demand pressures that have seen in our most expensive market – house prices double and double again in the last two decades.
Between these tax initiatives and our foreign buyers ban, we are aiming to tilt the playing field away from real estate speculation and land banking and towards a more productive economy that creates jobs and exports.
Another part of our comprehensive plan to tackle the housing crisis is KiwiBuild. Our KiwiBuild programme will build 1000 KiwiBuild homes in the first year, with the full ramp up of construction reaching 5000 homes by June 2020 and 10,000 homes by June 2021.
It’s important to remember that KiwiBuild is just part of a larger effort to increase the overall supply of housing in New Zealand. Although KiwiBuild is specifically for first home owner-occupiers, it sits alongside efforts to transform the wider building and construction industry including workforce development, more efficient consenting, efforts to establish off-site manufacturing, and a UDA to lead large scale developments.
The goals of our reform agenda are:
To reset and rebalance the rights and responsibilities shared by landlords and tenants, and make them fit for purpose for the 21st century.
Clean out rogue operators at the bottom end of the market who are giving your industry a bad name.
To encourage more security of tenure and the ability for tenants to feel at home, to make renting life better.
And to raise the standard of rental properties currently the cause for the shocking public health statistics that are no longer tolerable in the 21st century.
We know these changes need to be practical and workable for landlords and tenants.
Thank you for your time this evening and I hope you all submit on the RTA Reforms and the Healthy Homes Standards. I wish you well for your conference this evening.
Tue, 16 Oct 2018 08:24:38 +1300beehive.govt.nz105914Mobile shower and laundry for rough sleepers http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/mobile-shower-and-laundry-rough-sleepers
A customised van that will provide free mobile laundry and shower services for rough sleepers across Auckland launched in Onehunga this morning.
Operated by Australian charity organisation Orange Sky, the van will help the homeless community through laundry, showers and conversation.
Orange Sky co-founders, Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett, were named 2016 Young Australians of the Year for their work in establishing the organisation.
Nic Marchesi says he is excited Orange Sky has come to New Zealand.
“Since Orange Sky kicked off in October 2014, we have been continually blown away by the support we’ve received. It’s an honour and privilege to now have our first ever international van,” he said.
The Orange Sky laundry and shower service is partly funded by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford says while support services are working hard to reduce homelessness and get rooves over people’s heads, the laundry service goes some way to bringing rough sleepers one of the simple things we take for granted.
“While superficially the service is about clean clothes and showers, the main benefits are the social interactions, the conversations and the opportunity for social services to reach out to rough sleepers. It continues to build our picture of homelessness and helps us shape the support systems we need on the ground.”
Orange Sky will be operated by New Zealanders and is committed to working alongside all of the other providers in Auckland. It will also work in with the Housing First approach operating in Auckland and rolling out in other centres around the country.
Thu, 11 Oct 2018 09:02:07 +1300beehive.govt.nz105868Rail upgrades a big win for the Wairarapahttp://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/rail-upgrades-big-win-wairarapa
The Wairarapa rail line will undergo a significant upgrade after the New Zealand Transport Agency Board approved a $96 million investment which will help grow the region’s economy and boost tourism, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today.
This funding was set aside as part of the Government’s record $16.9 billion transport investment through the National Land Transport Programme aimed at supporting the regions, making it easier to get around our cities and saving lives.
Phil Twyford said without this investment, the Wairarapa line had been expected to deteriorate with more and more disruptions to services.
“This was simply unacceptable. Passengers have a right to expect a safe and reliable service, and this investment will ensure the long-term future of this route.
“It also highlights the importance our Government places on public transport,” Phil Twyford said.
The investment includes $50 million for track infrastructure for the Wairarapa. And an additional $46.2 million to be used on the rail line south of the Rimutaka Hill tunnel, including double-tracking between Trentham and Upper Hutt.
Phil Twyford said this investment is vital to unlocking Wairarapa’s potential for economic growth in business and tourism.
“One of the key drivers of growth is confidence and consistency. This will help with both.
“It will also give the Greater Wellington Regional Council more confidence to invest in upgrading and improving the line’s rolling stock,” said Phil Twyford.
Work on the Wairarapa rail line is part of a total $196 million investment in the region and the Government’s wider $4 billion package in public transport, rapid rail, and rail. Work is expected to start April next year.
Tue, 09 Oct 2018 07:13:21 +1300beehive.govt.nz105836More than 1500 housed this winter http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/more-1500-housed-winter
The Government has exceeded its target to have 1,500 additional places for the homeless this winter, Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford announced today.
“As we had feared, homelessness was worse than ever this winter, with record numbers of people coming forward for help,” Phil Twyford said.
“It’s going to take a concerted effort over many years to end homelessness. The housing crisis was created over a decade and isn’t going to be fixed overnight.
“We know that winter is the worst time to be homeless. That’s why in May our Government announced a $37 million investment to help those in urgent need of housing over the colder months.
“The Ministry of Social Development, in partnership with community housing providers, have pulled out all the stops this winter, resulting in:
684 additional transitional housing places, 268 above target,
33 additional Housing First households placed into permanent housing,
1047 additional public housing tenancies.
“The public also heard our Government’s call to help us house the vulnerable this winter. Members of the public, private landlords and landowners, NGOs, iwi and developers came forward with 380 offers of housing.
“That’s why we are already planning for winter 2019 and are full steam ahead with our plans to build even more transitional houses and 6,400 new public housing places around the country over the next four years,” Phil Twyford said.
Mon, 08 Oct 2018 14:24:15 +1300beehive.govt.nz105826Air New Zealand – Singapore Airlines Alliance reauthorisedhttp://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/air-new-zealand-%E2%80%93-singapore-airlines-alliance-reauthorised
The Government has signed off Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines’ strategic alliance for the next five years, Transport Minister Phil Twyford has announced.
Phil Twyford said the decision will allow the airlines to continue to cooperate to bring more flights and destinations for passengers travelling to and from New Zealand.
“The services the airlines provide through the alliance strengthens New Zealand’s ties with our close neighbours in South East Asia and with other emerging markets throughout Asia.
“Reauthorisation of the alliance will result in more benefits to travellers. These benefits include a wider range of flight times, more seats and reciprocal frequent flyer schemes,” Phil Twyford said.
Singapore has long been a hub for airline services, connecting New Zealand with the rest of the world. The alliance strengthens this role and provides passengers with a range of connecting flights between New Zealand and Singapore on the airlines’ combined services.
This authorisation applies until 28 March 2024. During this period, the airlines will need to continue to show that the alliance provides real benefits to consumers and that it has not had a negative impact on competition.
Fri, 05 Oct 2018 14:14:04 +1300beehive.govt.nz105812Upgrading Auckland’s rail crossings to save liveshttp://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/upgrading-auckland%E2%80%99s-rail-crossings-save-lives-0
Today Transport Minister Phil Twyford confirmed $7.6 million for automatic pedestrian crossing gates for 11 more Auckland rail crossings to keep people safe.
Over the next five years, Auckland Transport (AT) is planning safety improvements at all 51 pedestrian rail crossings in Auckland, by installing automatic gates, grade separation, or closing the crossing.
Phil Twyford said that improving safety to save lives is one of the government’s transport priorities.
“There have been too many stories of people getting hurt or killed by trains in Auckland. Improving the safety at rail crossings is one of the ways that we can help prevent harm to our kids and families when they’re getting around the city.
“We know that installing automatic gates at rail crossings saves lives. Since the introduction of automatic pedestrian gates at Glenview Road in Glen Eden and at Metcalfe Road in Ranui, there have been no further records of near misses at these locations.
“We’ve already started the work, with seven crossings getting automatic gate safety upgrades last year, including the site where Keenan Matthes was tragically killed last year. I’d like to pay tribute to the Matthes family for their advocacy on this issue and we’re trying to make sure that no other family will have to experience the same heartbreak.
“This work is especially important given that there are newer, quieter trains going more frequently, meaning more chances for accidents. In the 12 months to 31 August, there have been 52 pedestrian near misses at level crossings on AT’s network, with a further 51 near misses recorded in the rail corridor,” said Phil Twyford.
AT have successfully completed the first phase of their Programme for the Automatic Pedestrian Rail Crossing Gates - 7 sites along the Western Line, namely Metcalfe Road, Glenview Road, Rossgrove Tce, Asquith Ave and Fruitvale Road, Lloyd Ave and Woodward Road.
The project team will now move onto the next phase, which includes St Georges Road, Chalmers Street, St Judes, Portage Road, and is due to be completed by June, in the current financial year. A further phase is expected to be completed in the 2019/2020 financial year, and includes Te Mahia, Spartan Road, Takanini, Manuroa, Walters Road, Taka St and Tirnoui Rd.
The funding for the safety upgrades is jointly provided by AT and NZTA. The work to improve level crossing safety within the Auckland area is being carried out jointly by AT and KiwiRail.
Wed, 03 Oct 2018 20:35:09 +1300beehive.govt.nz105774New Ministry brings leadership and focus to housing and urban development http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-ministry-brings-leadership-and-focus-housing-and-urban-development
The new Ministry of Housing and Urban Development was opened today by Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford.
Phil Twyford says the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will help the Government build New Zealand out of the national housing crisis and restore the basic right to healthy, affordable housing for all New Zealanders.
“Housing and urban development is too important to New Zealand, and too complex an area to remain split across government agencies. We need one single, strong organisation to lead across agencies and across the housing and urban development system.
“We need to focus government efforts because the housing shortage is hurting New Zealanders. Too many people are homeless, in poor quality housing or locked out of home ownership.”
HUD will implement the Government’s ambitious housing and urban development programme to end homelessness, make housing affordable and make cities more liveable.
The new Ministry unites a range of previously fragmented housing policy, funding and regulatory functions from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment – including Kiwibuild – the Ministry of Social Development and Treasury.
It will develop strong capability in urban development and will drive urban development strategies to create the spaces, services and infrastructure that thriving communities need.
“We’re building communities and cities for the future so high-quality urban development is a priority. All New Zealanders should be able to live in healthy, affordable homes in communities connected to where they live, work, learn and play,” Phil Twyford said.
The Ministry of Social Development will continue to be the place for people to come if they are homeless or urgently need a place to stay, or need access to public housing and other types of support.
Mon, 01 Oct 2018 11:51:50 +1300beehive.govt.nz105738